Al Ru is a big, bold and beautiful garden of richly planted garden rooms

Before the stylish farmhouse and the garden come into view, the driveway passes a rusty biplane sculpture mounted on a tall pole in the adjoining paddock, a telling sign that this property is full of surprises!

Ruth Irving, drawing inspiration from her visits to gardens worldwide, has skillfully applied her extensive plant knowledge and vision to convert ten acres of Al Ru farmland into a vibrant and creatively designed garden filled with flowers throughout the seasons.

A series of richly planted garden rooms each has its distinctive style and palette of plants. There are colour-themed perennial borders, a wide wisteria and rose-covered arch leading into the ‘wedding garden’ where white roses climb up and over black lattice work, a formal box-edged garden and a delightfully informal wild area where perfumed freesias and tiny white lawn daisies have been left to naturalise.  Meandering paths wind through the woodland garden, which in spring feels joyful with vivid pink silene, lime green euphorbia, bluebells, honesty, columbines, campanula, hollyhocks and head-high Queen Anne’s lace.  The blossom of six different varieties of crab apple, ranunculi and Dutch iris in shades of white, yellow and blue create spectacular drifts of colour. The golden yellow blooms of Australian native Billy Buttons and other vibrantly coloured flowers add a bright contrast to the long double borders, planted with a mix of silver foliage plants and grasses.

Other features include an exuberantly planted meadow garden, a lily pond, garden statues and urns, a swimming pool, and outbuildings, including a charming conservatory, the barn, and a garden pavilion. The expansive lawns are sheltered by large old trees and dotted with several roaming Guineafowl and a huge but friendly dog.

Alru is big, boldly planted and beautiful!

Open on Sunday September 21 ONLY